


The Dragon Skin Journal

by skylark24



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Gryffindor, Harry Potter Next Generation, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Ravenclaw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 14:38:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11315478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylark24/pseuds/skylark24
Summary: James Sirius Potter doesn't know too much about his grandfather and what all the Marauders got up to before their untimely death. He never asks his father in fear of bringing back sad memories. He decides to keep his curiosity to himself, that is until he finds an old journal hiding under his bed in the Gryffindor tower. He opens the journal and discovers that is written by none other than Peter Pettigrew, the man who sold his grandparents out to Lord Voldemort. He decides to read it, and shows his siblings the wonderful memories of their grandparents and their best friends. He even learns some things he wishes he hasn't.





	The Dragon Skin Journal

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is shorter than the others because it is the beginning of the story. The main focus of the story is the writing in the journal rather than the characters reading the journal, so their parts of the story will most likely be much shorter than the journal entries. Yes, I know most people don't like Peter, but I really wanted to keep him included in the story. I never read much with him in it, and I still consider him to be a Marauder, so I really wanted to keep him included. The reading of the journal takes place in 2019, so the timelines are different than what fits with today. I hope you enjoy!

     The Gryffindor common room is usually a place full of energy, laughter, and warmth from the excitement present among the students and the fire that is almost always ablaze. Young witches and wizards are constantly moving in and out, and although the dark lord is forever gone and the students of Hogwarts have been safe of the past chaotic dangers for the last twenty-two years, there is still always too much going on to be excited for. There is always something happening. Except at the dead of night. Nights are when the Gryffindors all rest and prepare for the events of the next day. Sure, there's the occasional late night study session, the few students who sneak out and explore the castle at night, and of course the roaring parties after claiming victory in a quiditch match, but most nights the common room is a place of peace and quiet. Tonight, however, was one of those occasional exceptions.  
      James Sirius Potter, a fifth year who spent the majority of his time either on a broom stick or in detention with Professor Longbottom or Professor McGonagall, is doing the one thing he swore he would never do using freewill. Here he is, curled up in the corner of the couch with a dragon skin book sitting in his lap, his eyes glued to the page, his glasses slipping down his nose, and the fire still burning to provide just enough light for reading. Nothing but the sound of the turn of a page could be heard, until now. "Merlin's beard James! Are you reading? By choice?" A red haired girl with freckles and a small frame comes walking through the portrait into the common room, an expression of shock on her pale face. James almost decides not to respond, hoping that if he ignores her, she may just go away and leave him be. He has been reading for a while and was, to his surprise, really enjoying it. In the end, he allows his curiosity to get the best of him, because the simple question is burning in his mind hotter than the fire in front of him. Why is my first year sister roaming around the castle in the middle of the night?  
     "Lily Luna? What are you doing here? How did you get into my common room?" James is speaking in a whisper just loud enough for her to hear. She, however, does not feel like whispering. "Hugo told me the password. I can't sleep, so I came in here to find you. I definitely didn't expect to find you reading! I see enough of that being in Ravenclaw." She walks over to the couch and sits down next to James. She is filled of curiosity, her head practically in James's lap trying to see what on earth her brother could be reading. "Sh! Don't talk so loudly Lils!" "Oh why? Don't want your friends to know that you actually have glasses for more than just spotting a snitch flying through the air?" She's learned how to deal out snarky comments just like her mother, and James never knows how to respond. "Wha- no! Number one, I'm a Keeper, not a Seeker. And two, I don't care what my friends think of me. If you're going to pick on me just leave now! I was enjoying this story..." He turns his head and sets all of his attention on a page filled with handwritten words and small drawings of moons, stars, and what James believes to be antlers. Lily Luna remains where she is, head hanging over James's shoulder and eyes filled with curiosity now scanning the page.  
      She only has to read a few lines before she finding a name that she recognizes. "Sirius? As in Sirius Black?" James doesn't respond, so Lily Luna begins to read again.  She sees three more names she recognizes, and by the time she gets to the end of the page, she knows exactly what this book is about. "James, is this story about the Marauders? Ya know, granddad and his best friends?" James nods, never taking his eyes off of the page. "I think it was like a diary. It was written by Peter. It starts with their first year and ends with their graduation, skipping summers. The only way he was able to fit all of it into this book was with Remus magically adding more pages every year. It says so on the first page, which was kind of an intro to the whole thing." His face is lacking the usual mischievous grin, and Lily Luna knows this means something sad was going to be discussed. "Remus Lupin? You mean Teddy's father?" She asks. James nods. "Bloody hell, this is weird." James has never heard his little sister curse, and it causes him to look away from the book and finally give his sister proper attention. "Where did you hear that?" He asks in confusion. "James, I'm more than just a silly little girl. There's a reason I'm in Ravenclaw. I hear lots of things. I picked that up from Uncle Ron. Don't tell mum. I wanna know more about this journal. Will you read it to me?" James watched as Lily Luna's eyes grew bigger, and he started to realize why she had came into his common room so late at night.  
     "You homesick Lils?" She stares at James for a few seconds before resting her head on his shoulder and flipping back to the first page. "How about we stay down here, and you can sit here and sleep while I keep my head on your shoulder and begin to read the beginning of this journal? By the time you wake up, we'll be at the same spot and can continue reading together tomorrow. Deal?" Lily Luna was now speaking in a whisper, her head still on James's shoulder, the scent of home making its way from his light skin to her small nose and bringing her peace at last. James simply nodded. He took his glasses off and set them on the coffee table sitting between them and the fireplace before letting his head fall to rest against the back of the couch and closing his dark brown eyes. Lily did as she promised and began reading the first page of the journal, letting the sound of James's sudden snores keep her awake to read.


End file.
